Organize the final undecided: Harris commits to a marathon day in Pennsylvania usa elections

Donald Trump’s insult to Puerto Rico (“floating island of garbage”) at a rally in New York a week ago for the Republican nominee has drawn a last-minute endorsement of the vice president and the Democratic nominee. Many residents of Allentown, a hard-working city in pivotal Pennsylvania with a significant Puerto Rican community. Among the four and a half events scheduled in the state, about which her opponent has already raised suspicions of electoral fraud this Sunday, Harris’s appearance this Monday in Scranton—Joe Biden’s hometown—and Allentown, the first two of her tour There are stops, the intention is to scratch. Last vote. The first is the factory zone; Second, a majority Hispanic city, with 55% of the population divided between Puerto Ricans and Dominicans.

The pivotal state of Pennsylvania, the most decisive of the seven called to decide the race with 19 Electoral College votes, was the scene of a marathon day this Monday: four rallies, plus a surprise stop in Reading – industrial and Hispanic. The majority will also try to harvest the only votes available at this point, when more than 70 million Americans have already voted, according to the electoral laboratory at the University of Florida. These voters appear to be in his favor despite the very slight advantage his rival, Republican Donald Trump, has in the latest state polls. Most surveys point to a technical glitch that will probably be required photo finish: 48% intend to vote for everyone in Pennsylvania. The vice president, who was ahead of her rival by four percentage points at the start of her campaign, has been losing ground, with hopes of turning it around, if only in the last 24 hours.

However, there are signs that voters are choosing Harris in the final moments: The Democrat wins by 55% compared to Trump’s 44%. Twenty-four hours before the crucial day, 11% of voters still did not know which ballot to choose, compared to 16% a month earlier. An important fishing ground for him, but also for his Republican opponent, who predicts a painful and slow investigation that increases Republican suspicions about irregularities in the count — if not fraud.

In Scranton, Harris met with several hundred of her campaign volunteers at a ski resort, in a colloquial conversation she referred to her opponent without mentioning him by name, calling him “that other guy.” In Allentown, he spoke for 20 minutes to about 4,200 local residents who packed the gymnasium and side room of a beautiful early 20th-century school and entertained the waiting audience with singer Frankie Negron and his band. It was presented by the governor, Josh Shapiro, and Puerto Rican-born rapper Fat Joe, who urged undecided Latinos to vote for Harris. The singer said in Spanish, “Where’s your pride?”

A woman interrupted Harris’s speech and was escorted out of the room without hearing her screams. Similar incidents have been a frequent occurrence in his campaign, usually as a result of questions about the Gaza War, which make the Democratic candidate very uncomfortable. Harris turned to the protestor and said, “I don’t think that people who disagree with me are the enemy… We’re fighting for democracy right now.” “We love our democracy, and democracy can be a little complicated sometimes.”

In the final acts Harris addresses the working class (Scranton), Hispanics (one in Allentown, as well as a surprise stop in Reading), and the undecideds among the independent, liberal, or skeptical urbanites of Pittsburgh (a third rally) and Philadelphia, esp. Pay attention to the latter for African Americans: Posters decorating marquees and streetlights in the city show images of Martin Luther King, Barack Obama and Kamala Harris and a collage with the slogan “Defend Democracy.” From its three most prominent figures, a gratitude to the vitally important black community.

In Philadelphia, with performances by Harris and other artists, including Lady Gaga and Ricky Martin number twoTim Walz will end the campaign at midnight. In 2016, Hillary Clinton drew thousands of people to her finale in the same city, with former Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama attending a concert, but no one dared to draw comparisons between the two celebratory finales. Did it, that too because of superstition: Clinton’s victory seemed certain, but Trump surprised.

Among the 36 million Latino voters spread across the country, who were historically Democrats but partly won over by Republicans by appealing to their wallets and issues other than the immigration crisis, Harris was criticized for his racist insults to Puerto Rico. An unexpected obstacle has been encountered. flag. Latinos represent more than 5% of voters in Pennsylvania, where polls show a tie between the candidates. Among a series of industrial cities with growing Latino majorities, Allentown stands out: its Hispanic population percentage in 1990 was 12%; Today, the population of the Deccan Lehigh Valley’s largest city is about 55%, mostly Puerto Ricans and Dominicans. That’s why last week, three days after the controversial rally, Trump met with Hispanic voters in the city: “Nobody loves Latinos and Puerto Ricans more than me,” he told them, though not apologizing for the insult. Asked for.

The number of Latino voters in Pennsylvania has nearly tripled over the past two decades. This increase mirrors the national landscape: More than 30% of Latinos who vote this year are estimated to do so for the first time. Survey for Sienna College the new York Times It was revealed in mid-October that Harris had national support of 56% of Hispanic voters, which is less than the 62% achieved by Biden in 2020 and also less than achieved by Barack Obama at that time. Trump had 37%, which has been steady for four years. The largest turnout of Latino voters occurred during Biden’s re-election candidacy; The Vice President has gained ground, but not completely.

“They never paid that much attention to us,” says restaurant waitress Lucilla, referring to both parties. Dozens of blue signs, bearing the name Harris-Walz Tandem, cover the streets of Allentown. “Before Trump’s racist rally, many of my acquaintances had no interest in the polls, they didn’t care more or less, they were undecided. After that infamy, it didn’t take him a day to vote, obviously for the Democrats. However, not all, of course, older people are more fearful and, for example, my mother voted for Trump, because she says that with him we lived a better life, without inflation”, in those views. One of the things that Republicans repeat most at their rallies.

The decline in Latino support for Harris would not in itself be devastating if it sustained other demographic groups, such as young people or African Americans. But for example, if he loses, his chances of winning will be in jeopardy. African-American voter participation in some cities like Detroit, Atlanta, Philadelphia and Charlotte (North Carolina) could tilt the outcome of the election, so the Vice President is focusing her last efforts on them. Philadelphia will be your last cartridge.